Damar Hamlin's Father Reportedly Calls For Criticism Of Bengals Player Tee Higgins To End
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed suddenly and went into cardiac arrest during a January 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Dr. David Agus told CBS News that a possible explanation for this is a rare occurrence called commotio cordis. It happens when there's a hit to the chest at the right place at a specific time. Agus mentioned that it can most likely happen in baseball and soccer when the ball hits the chest hard.
Although most of the love and support has gone to Hamlin and his family, fans have also urged people to keep Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in their thoughts. "Just stood with Tee Higgins' mom who is now walking out with Tee who has his arm wrapped around her," Cincinnati Bengals reporter Kelsey Conway tweeted. "Tee was the one who collided with Damar Hamlin before he collapsed."
A video of ESPN NFL analyst Bart Scott went viral after it seemed like he was accusing Higgins of the incident. When he was asked to explain what he thought happened, Scott claimed that the receiver "lowered his head" to break the potential tackle, adding that he believes a penalty should've been issued on the play. However, it turns out that it was Higgins' shoulder, not his head, that made contact with Hamlin's chest, making the play legal. Now, it looks like the young safety's family is urging people to stop blaming Higgins for what happened.
Damar Hamlin's father doesn't want Tee Higgins to take the blame
ESPN reporter Coley Harvey recently spoke with Damar Hamlin's family following the 24-year-old's January 2 on-field collapse. It was revealed that Hamlin's father is fed up with the hate comments Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins has been getting. "Damar's father is among those calling for any criticisms of Bengals WR Tee Higgins (who was part of the play Damar was injured on) to STOP," Harvey tweeted.
Former NFL player Jack Brewer told Fox Business that he believes the incident was just a series of unfortunate events, indicating that Higgins didn't do anything wrong and the play was legal. "This was a routine tackle," he said. "I've made hundreds of tackles like that where a player gets under your pads a little bit and kind of hits you in the chest, and that's what happened."
Despite Higgins receiving some criticism, his Instagram is flooded with positive comments from fans. "It's not your fault," one Buffalo Bills fan commented. "Much love from everybody in buffalo. We love you, we stand with you." Others claimed that what happened was a "freak accident" from a contact sport, and he shouldn't be blamed for that. "Just remember Tee, the situation could easily have been reversed," another fan commented. "If you were on the other end, would you blame Damar? No. You would not. Hold on to that thought."
Damar Hamlin's family says Tee Higgins has gone above and beyond in showing support
While Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's health status remains a priority for NFL fans, Tee Higgins has also been receiving love, as the Cincinnati Bengals receiver was involved in the tackle before Hamlin's collapse. "If you think you're supporting Damar by bashing Tee, you're not supporting Damar," Hamlin's marketing rep and close friend Jordon Rooney told Spectrum News 1, adding that the safety's family wants the Bengals receiver to know that he shouldn't feel guilty for what happened. "It was a freak football accident that could have happened with anyone at any time." Rooney also said that Higgins has gone "above and beyond" in his support and has shown that he's a "great human being."
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor offered an update on Higgins. "Tee has handled it well," he told reporters in a press conference. He mentioned that because he's not with the receiver at all times, he doesn't know everything. "My communication with him is that he's doing okay," he added.
A little after the January 2 incident happened, Higgins took to Twitter to publicly share his thoughts. "My prayers and thoughts go out to @HamlinIsland the Hamlin Family," he tweeted. "I'm praying that you pull through bro. Love." Moreover, Bengals fans are also receiving praise for their continuous support of an opposing team.
Cincinnati Bengals fans are praised for their kind hearts
Jordon Rooney, Damar Hamlin's close friend and marketing rep, spoke to Cincinnati's WLWT about the Buffalo Bills safety's health status. He also mentioned that the family has become "new fans of Cincinnati" because of the support they have received from the city. "The hospital staff, coach Taylor, his wife, the Bengals, everyone has stepped up to the plate and has showed so much selflessness to be able to support the family," Rooney said.
Following the incident and the cancellation of the January 2 game, fans from both the Bengals and the Bills made their way to UC Health Center to light candles and place signs supporting Hamlin. "Just because we're Bengals fans doesn't mean we're not a fan of his," one supporter told Cincinnati Local 12 News. "I feel like Cincinnati and the Bengals team, we're a family and we care about everybody."
This is not the first time Bengals fans have shown how classy they are. When Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered from a possible second concussion, the Bengals fans chanted "Tua, Tua, Tua" from the stands, per Clutch Points, showing that the life and well-being of an athlete is bigger than the sport.